Karnali government allocates sufficient for upliftment of Dalit community

SURKHET, JANUARY 20: The Karnali Province Government has allocated a huge amount of budget targeting activities for the upliftment of the Dalit community compared to the previous fiscal years. However, the implementation part of the activities is not that much effective as planned. In the fiscal year 2078/079 BS, the provincial government allocated Rs 240 million budget for Dalit-targeted programmes but only Rs 40 million was spent.

According to the Office of the Chief Minister and Council of Ministers, concerned ministries have been entrusted with the responsibility to run the Chief Minister Dalit Income Generation Employment Promotion Programme from this fiscal year. In the previous years, the Programme was under the Chief Minister of the province.

For the current fiscal year, Rs 50 million has been allocated but the amount is not spent so far. A total of Rs 50 million is allocated for the Dalit class industry development programme under the Ministry of Industry, Tourism, Forest and Environment to run programmes in all 10 districts of the province. Section Officer Tejendra Rawal at the Ministry said that the implementation part has remained comparatively slow since approval is sought from the Province Planning Commission and Ministry of Economic Affairs for agreement and allocation. He hoped that the programmes would be implemented very soon.

Under the programme, Rs 8.8 million is for Surkhet, Rs 7.7 million for Dailekh, Rs 7.2 million for Humla, Rs 3.9 million for Salyan, and Rs 4 million each for Rukum Paschim and Jajarkot districts. According to Rawat, Jumla, Mugu, Dola, and Kalikot have received equal Rs 3.5 million each. The Karnali Province Government has unveiled the Procedures for Chief Minister Dalit Income Generation Promotion Programme, 2077 BS. This aims to enhance the living standards, economic well-being, social dignity, and respect of Dalit community members through the promotion of their knowledge, skills, and capacity.

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